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Pharasma
History Pharasma is counted among one of the original gods that opposed Rovagug. Sometime after, Urgathoa's escape from the Boneyard and return to the Material Plane brought undead and disease to the world. Pharasma has, since the beginning, been responsible for ferrying the souls of the dead to their final reward. When an individual dies, their soul first makes their way to the Boneyard where Pharasma determines where they should go. With her power over Prophecy, she knows who will be brought back to life and so can hold back such souls from their final destination if needed. Pharasma makes no decision on whether a death is just or not; she views all with a cold and uncaring attitude, and decides on which of the Outer Planes a soul will spend eternity. Pharasma is also the goddess of birth and prophecy: from the moment a creature is born, she sees what its ultimate fate will be, but reserves final judgement until that soul finally stands before her. As the goddess of death and rebirth, she abhors the undead and considers them a perversion. Appearance Pharasma is most often depicted as an ashen-skinned Human woman with white eyes. She wears a dark, hooded, robe-like dress and holds an hourglass filled with red sand. She is alternatively depicted as a mad prophet, a reaper of the dead, or a midwife, depending on her current role. Relationships Pharasma remains neutral in almost all aspects towards other deities. Urgathoa and her followers are the closest she has to an enemy. The god of accidental death, Zyphus has a fierce rivalry with the Lady of Graves, but it is not altogether clear if this feeling is mutual. Pharasma also has a mysterious connection to the minor god of the end times, Groetus, for he hangs in the sky above her Boneyard as a gibbous moon. Servants Worshipers and Clergy Many of Pharasma's worshipers are those closely aligned with either burgeoning life or terminating death. These include midwives, grave diggers, and morticians. Pregnant women often carry small medallions bearing her likeness to protect their child. Her followers dress in black for her ceremonies (no matter the local custom), with their clothes adorned with silver, and carry tiny vials of holy water. Her priests are typically clerics, diviners (although less so since the death of Aroden), and necromancers who choose not to create undead. Her followers view the undead with hatred and consider them a great abomination. Pharasmins view putting the undead to rest as a holy duty. The creation of undead is outlawed, and commanding undead rather than destroying them is deeply frowned upon as well. Unique Servants Birthed-in-Sorrow This servant of Pharasma is a linnorm-like creature who possesses clerical powers, and uses them to fight the undead. Endless Gravestone This servant appears to be an animated, wheel-like being composed of rock. Steward of the Skein Pharasma's herald is a mighty armored and winged warrior who travels the planes to restore the balance of life and death, announce auspicious births, and battle the undead hordes. Temples and Shrines The temples of Pharasma have the appearance of dark and ancient cathedrals, usually found close to a graveyard, although a single stone in an empty field or graveyard can just as well serve as a shrine. Underneath the buildings are catacombs filled with crypts of the dead, typically priests or affluent townsfolk. Being entombed in these catacombs is thought to bring favor from the Lady of Graves. The services held by worshipers include chanting and singing. They are typically considered a joyous occasion, and a celebration of the circle of life and death. Members of the clergy also keep records of a community's deaths and births. Holy Texts Pharasma's holy book is called The Bones Land in a Spiral, written by a prophet long ago. Its predictions are so vague that no one is sure if they are accurate or if they have already happened. Other sections that were added later contain information on safe childbirth, the proper burial of bodies, performing auguries, and other such matters. Holidays Pharasma's followers celebrate the Day of Bones on the 5th of March, and in nations where the Lady of Graves is a prominent deity, her priests take part in the Procession of Unforgotten Souls in the weeks leading up to the harvest feast. Presence on Fynn Pharasma is worshiped fairly evenly across Fynn as the Goddess of Death. While some may lean towards more evil gods, for the most part the people of Fynn look to Pharasma. Most major cities have a minor shrine to her that typically sits on or near the graveyard. Category:Goddess Category:Neutral Category:Religion Category:Deity